Valve mechanism.



R. HOWARD. VALVE MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17, 1907.

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Patented Mar. 16, 1909.

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915,353. Patented Mar. 16, 1909.

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. ATTORNEYS ROY HOWARD, OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA.

VALVE MEGHAN ISM.

I No. 915,363.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 16, 19.09.

Application fi1ed..lune 17, 1907; Serial No. 379,516.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROY HOWARD, a citizen of the United States, residingat San Die o, in the county of San Diego and State of alifornia, haveinvented a new and useful Valve Mechanism, of which the following 7 is aspecification.

TlllS invention relates to internal combustion and other engines of thatconstruction in which the valve actuating levers are operated from asingle shaft, and it relates more particularly to-a novel arrangement ofvalves and their actuating levers.

The invention has for one of its objects toimprove and simplify theconstruction and arrangement of the valve actuating mechanism so as toobtain economy of manufacture and of maintenance, compactness of theparts, and facility of removal of the valve cages for the purpose ofinspection, renewal and repair. I

.A further object of the invention is to provide a valve mechanismwhereby the exhaust valve levers are arranged and adapted to hold theexhaust valve open to relleve the compression within the cylinder duringthe starting of the engine, the levers being shiftably mounted so thatthey can be adjusted for engagement with auxiliary cams arranged so asto actuate the levers during the compression strokes on the pistons.

With these objects in view, and others, as will appearas the nature ofthe inventionis better understood, the invention. comprises the variousnovel fea ures ofconstruction and arrangement of pat ts, which will bemore fully described hereinafter and set forth with particularity in theclaims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one of the embodiments ofthe invention, Figure 1 is a plan view of a two cylinder explosionengine with the valve gear applied thereto, a portion of one of thecyllnders being broken away to show the inlet exhaust valves. Fig. 2 isa rear elevation of the valve gear and upper portions of the cylinder.Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of one of the ex haust valve levers shown inthe position for relieving the compression within the cylinderassociated with the lever. Fig. 4- is a detail sectional view of theexhaust valve lever showing the means for holding it in the position.shown in Fig. 3.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated throughout bysimilar characters of reference.

one-interfering with the other.

In the present instance, I have preferred to illustrate the invention asapplied to a twocylinder internal combustion engine, and while theinvention works out satisfactorily in this connection, it possessescertain features which are capableof use in a single and multiplecylinder. engine, so that I 'do not wish to be limited to the particularconstruction shown.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the cylinders of the enginewhich are arranged side by side and suitably spaced apart so as tofacilitate the removal of the in ct valves in the spaces between thecylinders. Lo-

cated in. the plane centrally between the cylinders is a half speed camshaft 2 disposed parallel with the axes of the cylinders and gearedadjacent one end to the crank shaft 3 through the gears 4 and 5. The endof the cam shaft op osite from the gears issupported in the hearing 6formed in the arm 7 that is cast integral with one-of the cylinders,

the right hand cylinder in Fig. 2.

The inlet and exhaust valves 8 and 9, respectively, of each cylinder,are preferably arranged in the same plane extending transversely of thecylinder and they are removably secured in place by the cages 10that-fit in machined openings provided in the cylinder wall. The cages10, which may be of any desired construction, are arranged to beremovable in a direction extending transversely of the cylinders, andthe exhaust valves are removable in a rearward direction, as viewed inFig; 1, while the inlet valves are removable in a lateral direction, thesaid latter valves being arranged approximately ninety degrees from)airs and mounted on a common fulcrum/ he exhaust valve levers,designated by 12, are of the first order, and the inlet valve levers,designated by 13, are of ,the second order. As shown in Fig. 2, thelovers 13 are located below the levers l2, and since the \alve stems ofall the valves are arranged in a common plane, the lovers are more orloss dissimilarly bent, so that they may all be presented to a commoncamv shaft without The levers Hand 13 of each cylinder are fulcrun'iedon a common spindle 15 in the nature of a bolt having a head orenlargement l6 and a left hand cylinder.

.suspending the valve actuating levers,

throwing their rollers threaded opposite end that passes through anapertured extension or arm 17 and receives a retaining nut 18. Theapertured portion 17 in which the spindle 15 of the right hand cylinder,Fig. 2, is supported, is formed integral-with the arm 7 t at carries thecam shaft bearing. The other apertured arm is preferably fopamedintegral with. the 3 the latter can be readily removed when it is de- At12 is shown the exhaust cam for the left-hand cylinder of Fig. 1, and at13 the cam which actuates the admission valve for this 0 linder. 3

12 and 13 indicate respectively the exsired to takeout the valve cages.

'haust and admission cams for the right-hand cylinder.

In order to reduce the friction between the levers and cams, the formerare provided with rollers 19. I a

To relieve the, compression in the cylinders during the starting of theengine, the exhaust valve levers 12 are arranged so as to be adjustableon their fulcrums for the purpose of into alinement with auxiliary camson the cam shaft that are dispos d to tilt the levers during the comres- S21; strokes. To this end, sufficient c earnce is provided betweeneach lever 12 and the apertured member 17, Fig. 2, to permitthe leversto be raised on their respective spindles 15.

groove 20 in which a spring pressed key-or follower 21, Fig. 4, isadapted to engage when a lever is raised to the position shown in Fig.

3. The follower 21 is arranged in an opening sion spring 23 thatprovidetl in the hub 22 of each lever 12 and is pressed inwardly by thehelical compresthe screw plug 24 that closes the opening. Thetransversely extending groove 20 of the spindle 15-and the key 21 are soshaped as to readily engage anddisengage under a slight ressure exertedon the lever when the same Isl/0136 raised or lowered; The raising ofthe exhaust valve levers is not carried to such an extent as to movetheir free ends out of op erative relation to the stems of the exhaustvalves. As shown in Fig. 3, the main exhaust valve cam extends slightlybelow the auxiliary or compression relief cam. The main cam 25 1sarranged on the opposite side of the cam shaft from the auxiliary cam26, so that the latter-will open the exhaust valve during thecompression stroke. Thus in starting the engine, the two levers v.12 arelifted, so as to bring the keys 21 thereof into engagement withtheirrespective slots 20 of the s indles 15. This will automaticall hold t elevers in alinement with the auxiI iary cams. The engine is now crankedand, after the main shaft makes a turn or two, the levers 12 are presseddown so as to snap the this simple means of with a peripheral groove,

Each spindle is provided with a abuts at its outer end on f keys 21 outof the grooves 20' and throw the levers into proper relation to thelower por- The engine tions of the main exhaust cams.

will thus take up its cycle of operation and I operate in the ordinarymanner.

I have described the principle of operation 1 mounted on the spindleadjustable length- -wise thereof, and a s rin ressed follower ii g Pcarried by said valve ever and arranged to engage the groove to therebymaintain the lever in adjusted position.

2. In an internal combustion engine, 'a

best embodi-' a valve lever' cylinder having inlet and exhaust valves, a

cam shaft arranged parallel with the axis of the cylinder and providedwith a main inlet and exhaust cams, a spindle parallel with the shaftand provided with a peripheral groove, an inlet valve lever mounted onsaid spindle and arranged to be engaged by the main inlet cam, anexhaust valve operating lever also mounted on the spindle and arrangedto be'engaged by the exhaust cam, said exhaust' valve lever beingadjustable length;- wise of the cylinder to a position to be engaged byboth the exhaust and auxiliary cams, and a spring pressedfollower'carried by the exhaust valve lever and arranged to engage thegroove to thereby maintain the lever in adjusted position.

3. In an internal combustion engine, a

plurality of cylinders having parallel axes, a shaft, the axis of whichis parallel with the axis of the c for said cyi'nders, a pair ofvertically disposed spindles arranged 5 arallel with the shaft, one ofsaid spindles eing 'adjacentto each cylinder, inlet valve levers mountedon the spindle,

shaft, and arranged toengage said levers,

main inlet cams carried by the no linders, inlet and exhaust valvesexhaust valve levers, adjustable lengthwise of the spindles, means forholding said levers in adjusted position, and main and auxiliary camscarried by theshaft and arranged to operate said exhaustivalve levers. VV

In testimony that I claim the foregoing'as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses' nor. HOWARD. Witnesses: i5

0. HARRY Woonwann, R. C. MARKS.

